Community Chapter Sermon by Br. Celestine
The One and Triune God
At the heart of the Trinitarian controversies of the fourth century is the underlying difficulty inherent in the Christian adaptation and appropriation of the Hellenistic idea of divinity and also its essential Christological constituent – the question of the full deity of the Son. Though there are a significant number of biblical texts bearing on the Trinitarian faith, the scriptures do not present any unequivocal and explicit doctrine concerning the triadic mystery of God. Though they speak of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, they do not give us any systematic formulation or proffer terminologies like “person,” ‘nature’ or ‘substance’ to explain the concept.
The present creedal confession is a result of vast theological reflection on God as tripersonal Being. Without adding to the scriptures, the fathers of the Church exegeted divine revelation to provide answers to issues like the ontological distinction in the Father ,Son and the Holy Spirit; the status of the Son of God, the relations of nature and person etc. The post New Testament reflection on faith employed the scriptural insights and philosophical reason to understand the created order, human life and God’s salvific acts in human history. That is why the present creedal confession presents the Trinity in terms of the divine self-communication in creation and salvation history – through the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit as the true revelation of the inner Trinitarian life of God
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central and supreme mystery of the Christian Faith and life. It is not just another mystery of the Christian faith. In fact, there are not many mysteries of all kinds, but only a single mystery. This is the mystery present in all mysteries and the light that enlightens them. The Triune mystery is an all inclusive reality which encompasses the entire Christian economy of salvation. The whole universe and salvation history is all about the Trinity unfolding so as to enfold us.
It is the mystery that exists in God Himself and thus it is the ground and foundation of all mystical realities. This mystery is not just a kind of celestial arithmetic pulse to be solved, but a depth of live to be entered into. It is the very life of God which flows into us now (John 14:15-16), and which we hope to share eternally. That is why when we are baptised as Christians we are baptised into the very life of God Himself.
All creation bear the trace of the Trinity and humans are in the image of the Trinity. What is the implication of this statement for us? What is the spiritual and practical importance of the Trinity for our daily living as Christians? If the human person is grafted into the very life of the Trinity; then the way we relate to the persons of the Trinity should be judged by the way we relate to one another.
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